David Fish is the acting director of Exempt Organizations Rulings and Agreements at the IRS.

Fish helped implement electronic applications for exempt status. The electronic applications apparently didn’t speed up the process for Tea Party groups who have been waiting years for determinations.

Melany Partner is the IRS director of Customer Education and Outreach for Exempt Organizations.

Her job is (presumably) to help applicants like the many dozens of Tea Party groups understand and navigate the IRS 501(c) application process. Obviously there’s some room for improvement, to say the least.

Folks - particuarly conservatives - who have never worked in the federal government underestimate the amount of power that mid and low level bureaucrats have. No abusive federal policy can be accomplished without the work of all levels of the bureaucracy. Moreover, often the worst behavior is done without the involvement of "higher ups." So I disagree tha the only "prize" worth bagging are "high ones." I also disagree with the notion expressed below that there is something unseemly holding those directly resposible, responsible. The unit that oversees exempt determinations should not deploy their policies in secret. Individual federal employees implemented this policy. None of them deserve to remain anonymous. Otherwise, the behavior repeats.

I agree with your basic premise but it is impossible to keep this type of agency non-political since it is directly connected to whatever party is in power. Ever more reason for a flat tax and disbanding the extortion arm of the federal government. No more exemptions, no more favorable tax breaks, no more political back scratching.

I notice that all of these "low level" employees, "who are just secretaries" have law degrees. So they must have a passing acquaintance with what the law is. The old "I was ignorant" and "I was just following the orders of mein superiors" not an acceptable excuse for executing those orders. As officers of the court they had an obligation to blow the whistle. That they didn't shows they are as corrupt as their elected bosses.

I agree with others regarding these IRS employees, 3 of 4 being female - will not be investigated let alone persecuted for their grossly abusing, breaking the law, duties of their federal position.

Recall DoJ's Voting Rights Section employee Stephanie Celandine Gyamfi who'd perjured herself 3 TIMES under oath, called the very state of Mississippi she supposedly represents '..vial and disgusting..' on her FB account and she's STILL employed! No repercussions whatsoever. Eric 'My People' Holder loves him some Illiberal paeans in his DoJ.

Being a 'progressive' female federal employee has it's perks. Like never seeing justice if involved in any wrongdoing.

If the GOP does indeed, and justifiably so deem the above people to be investigated, the herd-like MSM and troglodyte Illiberal's/ pols will call it a witch hunt, the GOP being sexist etc.,

I wasn't aware of this database. I started looking up a number of federal employees whom I know, and was shocked at how much they're paid. I know the kind of work they do, how hard they work and their relative level of responsibility. Even for someone like me, who has a great deal of knowledge of the federal government, I could not believe how the general taxpaying public is getting ripped off. Ripped off by people with only a fair work ethic, propensity to take lots of breaks, bull seasons, pleasurable internet surfing, etc during the day. I really know what a lot of these people do and how hard they work. I'm amazed and shocked, that the salaries, even in an expensive area like D.C., are so high. And this is topped off by the most generous health insurance plan and a very generous retirement program, to boot.

It's a shame how the American people, many of whom are NOT doing well, are supporting these overpaid, arrogant, smug and power-mad bureaucrats, and I'm just talking about people mostly at the lower and mid-levels. Too many salaries of mid-level people at 150K to 200 K per year. It's very, very disturbing.

There is only one question that needs to be asked about this scandal. Given that each of these people, and many more, knew exactly what the law states and knew that they were breaking both the law and their obligation to the public, did they believe that they would be fired for their actions, or promoted for their actions. If you guessed that they believe they would be fired for their actions, then you truly have never met a Federal employee.